Rays take on Warriors

Ranchi: While Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his boys have been anything but resilient in their sojourn Down Under thus far, the India skipper co-owned hockey outfit Ranchi Rays have displayed great character to record two consecutive victories at home. They now look to continue their good show against Punjab Warriors here at Astroturf hockey stadium here on Tuesday.
For Rays, though, completing a hat-trick of wins in their penultimate league match at home would take some doing as they lock horns against the table-toppers. The first edition of the Hockey India League had borne witness to the talent Punjab Warriors possessed at their disposal but a fourth place finish led bare a vulnerable and a disoriented outfit. In the following season the Warriors surprised a lot as they reached the final only to go down in penalties against the Delhi Waveriders.
Charting their improvement graph, the Warriors have undoubtedly been the team to beat this season. Such has been their attacking prowess that they walloped the defending champions 7-0 in Mohali on Saturday with drag-flicker Sandeep Singh netting his first hat-trick of the season. Even with the likes of Sardar Singh, Rupinder Pal Singh, Jason Wilson and Simon Child in their rank, Waveriders’ failure to muster a strong challenge is a clear indication of the strength the Punjab outfit boasts of.
Ashley Jackson has been a figure of inspiration for the hosts and Rays will again require him to maintain his Midas touch in front of the goal if they are to end their home-leg with a win. Meanwhile, Jackson and coach Harendra Singh should both know the importance of improvement in their midfield against an unarguably a superior opposition after luck played a big role in their victory against UP Wizards.
Defenders Birendra Lakra, Fergus Kanavanagh and Kothajit Singh have thus far produced sterling performances in their last three matches to keep a clean sheet and would be again called upon to deliver their best in front of some excruciating pressure from the likes of Simon Orchard, SV Sunil, Sandeep and Dwyer himself.
Unlike his preferred method, though, Singh’s insistence on putting his boys through the paces on a gloomy Monday evening may well be an indication of the team’s resolve to halt the Warriors juggernaut at home.